Teacher Tuesday: Wedding Wishes

Day 23 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

Photo by Heather McKittrick, 2012

Miss Fye is getting married!

She and Matthew Cyr will be saying their “I do’s” to each other on October 27^th at 10 AM in Jamestown, NY where Miss Fye grew up. The service will be held at The Spire, the oldest church in Jamestown.

The reception sounds as creative as Miss Fye! She’s having a brunch at the Village Casino (it’s not a real casino) in Bemus Point, NY – eggs, pancakes, muffins, home fries, sausage and a yogurt bar. The banquet hall will be decorated with pumpkins, burlap, hay bales, leaves and other fall items.

While the guests wait for the newlyweds to arrive at the hall, they can carve pumpkins and have their pictures taken in the photo booth.

And no wedding cake for this girl! Instead the guests will have their choice of pies - pumpkin, apple, chocolate, and a local favorite, concord grape.

  

The students are excited for their Instructor and Academic Advisor, and want to pass along their best wishes:

Daniela

 “I wish you good luck! And have fun! Take lots of really good pictures.” Daniela

"Congrats on your marriage! I hope it’s a happy one and that you have a great time on your Honey Moon." Kati

  
“I will pray for you. It’s good to stay with one person.” Josh

Audrey

 “Have a happy marriage and a great honeymoon too!” Audrey

“Congratulations on your big day!” Andrew

“Congratulations! Good luck!” Sarah

Sean

“My blessing for you is that you are my advisor for life forever.” Sean

 “Have a fun time!” Christian

 “Have a great rest of your life together!” Brian

Joe

“Congratulations on having successfully completed your marriage. I hope you have a good relationship from here on out.” Joe

“I hope you have a happy marriage. I’m happy you’re getting married. Best wishes. We’re all praying for you!” Dallas

Philip

“Miss Fye, good luck. Have a great time. I hope for the best for you. I hope you will have a great and faithful marriage experience.” Philip

“Good luck and do good!” Christi

“Live long and prosper together.” Charles

Lindsay

“Congratulations! Good luck on your marriage. I really enjoy your class and I will miss you. I hope you come back soon. I love you like a sister-in-Christ.” Lindsay

“Have a great time! Good luck and God bless!” Nicole

Bethany

“You’re fantastic! I hope your wedding is too.” Bethany

 “You picked the right man and made the right decision.” David

  “I am excited for you! Have a great time and a great honeymoon!” Krista

 

Donovan

“I hope you have a blessed life together. I hope your marriage is really fulfilling.” Donovan

“Good luck.” Israel

Kathryn

 “Best of luck. I hope you have a happy marriage.” Katy

“I hope your wedding goes smoothly and the pies are delicious! I hope you found the man of your dreams.” Kathryn

 

Miss Fye will return to Shepherds College as Mrs. Cyr on November 1^st.

All our heartfelt prayers go out to Elyse and Matthew as they commit themselves to sharing a God-glorifying life together.

Photo by Heather McKittrick, 2012

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease, where there are tongues, they will be stilled, where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest is love.”  1 Corinthians 13:4-13

 

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Teaching the Tabernacle

Day 20 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

I already told you how engaging Miss Fye is as a teacher, how she infuses energy and R.E.A.L. instruction in all her lessons. Today I want to show you one of her lessons in the Roots of Faith class with the first year students.

The students are learning about the Tabernacle, the portable dwelling place for God from the time the Israelites left Egypt to the conquering of Canaan. Built to exact specifications revealed by God to Moses, the Tabernacle accompanied the Israelites throughout their years of wandering and their conquest of the Promised Land.

Walk with the students through the outer court, the outer chamber and the Holy of Holies.

Miss Fye prepared the students with prayer and worship music to enter the Tabernacle

Ryan walking to the Outer Court

Students at the Bronze Alter, the place of sacrifice, in the Outer Courts

Volunteer Kristen taught the students about the Bronze Basin

Also called the Bronze Laver, it was a place with water to wash, and represents the cleansing of our sins

Many of the teachers measured their areas so the students had a clear picture of the measurements God gave to Moses

Students entered the Outer Chamber, the Holy Place

Mrs. Anderson taught them about the Golden Lampstand

Students then visited the Table of Bread

Mrs. McCarthy taught them the importance of the Altar of Incense which stood just before the veil leading to the Holy of Holies.

Mr. Anderson's lesson was taught in the Holy of Holies and covered the Ark and the Mercy Seat.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Teacher Tuesday: Energizing Education

I liked Elyse Fye before I ever met her. 

 

Students talked in the hallways about the new teacher – “She’s so fun…she laughs a lot…she talks fast…she looks like J Lo.”  

Teachers stopped by my desk to say, “Elyse is fantastic! ...she’s enthusiastic…she’s creative… she’s passionate about her work.”

I developed an image of her as a continuously moving, constantly smiling mass of pure educational energy. When I finally saw her working with the students, I realized that my impression wasn’t far off.

A very active lesson with Miss Fye

Miss Fye has a special gift for teaching that’s evident from the moment you step into her classroom. That this gift is from God is undeniable. It goes beyond a learned skill to the realm of a “calling.”

She never intended to work in the disability field. Her plan was to become an elementary teacher - but God changed her mind. He reminded her of the deep love she developed for people with disabilities while serving at Camp Hope for three summers. Miss Fye understood her purpose in life and followed God as He perfectly orchestrated the details to bring her to Shepherds College.

Miss Fye now teaches the Roots of Faith and New Testament Letters classes. Her Bible-based lessons become R.E.A.L. for the students – she wears costumes, decorates the room, introduces lessons with skits, and plans hands-on activities to help the students relate to the material. She stands up, moves around and has her students standing up and moving around with her. She uses things – pictures, objects, ideas– to get her point across and to plant lessons firmly in the students’ heads.  Games, songs, sign language and presentation are all a regular part of her lively repertoire.  And she does all this with a passion that infuses the true joy of learning in the hearts of everyone participating in her class.

Miss Fye making Resurrection Biscuits

Her philosophy of teaching is Make Learning Exciting! In order to encourage the desire to learn in every student, she plans fun and interactive lessons that will engage her class and introduce them to new things and ideas. Her lessons are never dull and neither is she. Mrs. Harvey says that sitting in on one of Miss Fye’s lessons is like watching a movie wearing 3-D glasses – everything comes alive and jumps out at you in brilliant color.

Amanda learning in color during New Testament Letters

Just last week, Miss Fye asked maintenance for a measuring tape so she and the students could measure out the length and width of Noah’s ark in the Shepherds College hallway. They all measured … and measured … and measured – and found out that the ark was as long as the farthest north to south points of the Wood Center!  You can be sure that each student will remember this lesson every time they hear the story of Noah and the Ark in the future.

Miss Fye measuring Noah's ark in the hallway with her 1st year students

If you’re already thinking, “Wow! Miss Fye sounds like the perfect teacher for students with intellectual disabilities,” just wait. God not only blessed Shepherds College with a vibrant instructor that paints her classroom with broad streaks of energizing, passionate color, He also tempered her palette with the softer hues of patience and kindness – two very important qualities when working with our population. The students grow to trust and respect her as she takes the time to ensure that each one of them completely understands the material and the life-giving message behind it. 

Miss Fye invests so much of herself in her teaching and so much of her love and energy in the students. 

Her payout is huge. She cultivates students who are motivated to learn for a lifetime … and students who are changed for an eternity.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.